"It has been brought to my attention that a city employee currently working in the Jackson Fire Department may have engaged in hate speech. We are in the process of investigating what appears to be a set of deeply disturbing social media posts. We hope to complete this investigation within a few days.

The same sun scorches both. The same struggle burdens both. The same love brings hope to both. Located more than 8,000 miles apart, it’s hard to imagine Marks, Mississippi and Lesotho, Africa sharing any similarities. And yet, the two places play to the same beat of the resounding drum.

In a world so quickly changed beyond our imagining, we suddenly find ourselves in an age of fever desperate for a vaccine to deliver us from COVID-19. If only we can return to the health, prosperity and camaraderie of the old world just two months ago. Family weddings, reunions, dinner parties and even funerals?

Gov. Tate Reeves extended his safer at home order today, but said that salons and gyms could begin reopening Monday, May 11, at 8 .a.m., as long as they follow certain guidelines. A copy of the governor's media release, which lists those guidelines, is below:

On May 21, the University of Mississippi Medical Center announced that it would have to lay off employees and reduce salaries for employees making more than $100,000 a year, as a result of losses related to the COVID-19 outbreak.

"It has been brought to my attention that a city employee currently working in the Jackson Fire Department may have engaged in hate speech. We are in the process of investigating what appears to be a set of deeply disturbing social media posts. We hope to complete this investigation within a few days.

Jackson police officers now have the tools needed to address vagrancy on the Northside.
In April, the city council approved an ordinance regulating urban camping and the improper use of public places in the city.

Arkansas Governor Asa Hutchinson in early April questioned the effectiveness of a shelter-in-place order. He said, “The question is, ‘Are you accomplishing anything by doing that order?’”
On all the website scoreboards rating states based on their COVID-19 response, Arkansas was consistently on the bottom with “F” ratings.

Covid- 19 has killed tens of thousands, but the economic hardship caused by a prolonged panic will kill hundreds of thousands.
That premise is based on a 2009 scholarly paper published in the Quarterly Journal of Economics and endorsed by the National Bureau of Economic Research.

Some people have asked for thoughts on the recent Covid-19 sermon by the Rev Danny Jones of the Northlake Baptist Church, Gainesville GA, that went viral. (https://youtu.be/qUjNKPaQNPg) Here’s my take.

Jackson Mayor Chokwe Antar Lumumba said no curfew is needed for the city.

At its meeting on April 14, the city council is slated to consider a proposal from Ward Four Councilman De'Keither Stamps, which would implement a temporary city-wide curfew in response to the COVID-19 outbreak.

In a video released Friday, Mayor Chokwe Antar Lumumba called for a repeal of Mississippi’s Open Carry Law, citing that the law makes it impossible for police to remove illegal guns from Jackson’s streets and stokes an environment of fear and intimidation.

An outside entity approaches Mississippi and says that it wants to invest a billion dollars a year in the state indefinitely and create thousands of new jobs. The only catch is that the state has to put up $100 million a year, too.

Northsider Jeff Bonner shared this photo of a Mississippi cougar with us. It came courtesy of his friend, Clarksdale dentist Bill Wilson, who took the photo from the window of his office at 850 North DeSoto in Clarksdale.

There will be an unusual push by Mississippi politicians to raise campaign money in the final weeks of December. That’s because a new state law kicks in requiring any campaign money raised after December 31 be used only for political campaign purposes.

The District at Eastover will add a new addition in the spring of 2018, Eastover Market, the state’s first food hall. Eastover Market will be developed in consultation with the esteemed St. Roch Market of New Orleans, and will showcase a curated collection of local, boutique restaurant concepts.

Mississippi's state accountability model is designed to measure the instructional effectiveness of schools and districts in the state. It includes students' scores on language and math tests as well as attendance and graduation rates. Schools and districts are given a letter grade from A to F according to their performance.